Los limoneros

Heart-rending. A nuanced film about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

I don't pretend to know a lot about this conflict, but I felt this film had much to say. The characters and the inner conflicts they feel are very well brought out.

There is a lot of strength and feeling in this movie. Neither side is presented as being perfect and having all the 'right' solutions.

The film is slow moving and very thoughtful and I appreciate that when I compare it to the histrionics in most films today. There is also a complexity in the characters and story. The scenes shown of Israel and the Palestinian camps, the check-points, the wall.. are most informative.

Yes I know a lemon isn't grey, but yellow (or green, if it ain't ripe yet), but I'm talking about the grey area this movie does try to shine a light upon, with more than a light human touch coming with it. You get both sides of a dilemma, that concerns the aforementioned (see English title) lemon tree(s).

The director and the stars where at the screening I watched. There were many questions, one concerned the message of the movie. Interestingly enough the director himself is a Jew. But he still sees the craziness of the Gaza/border to other countries. And he also had an "All-Star" cast, that shows that there must not be any hate between the races. And the movie itself raises a few questions, about a few hot topics. It's a movie worth watching, not only for those that are afflicted by the themes of the movie, but also for everyone else!

Etz Limon (2008) directed by Eran Riklis, was shown in the United States with the title "Lemon Tree." (Don't confuse the film with a popular novel that has the same title.) The plot of the story is simple enough. The Israeli defense minister moves into a home located right next to a lemon grove owned by a Palestinian woman. Israeli security agents decide that the grove presents a hazard to the minister and his wife, and declare that the lemon trees must be destroyed. The Palestinian woman fights the destruction of her livelihood and her legacy.

Although the basic plot of "Lemon Tree" is simple, the movie is complex. There are fascinating interactions between the woman--Salma Zidane, played by the incomparable Hiam Abbass--and her lawyer and her children. The defense minister has a edgy relationship with his wife. (His wife is basically a fair and caring woman, and isn't supportive of the grove's destruction, but she also likes being married to a powerful, charismatic public figure.) The defense minister is obviously very close to a beautiful young aide, and the movie suggests that they're having an affair.

Although the film is clearly sympathetic to the Palestinian cause, all of the Palestinians aren't portrayed as perfect individuals. One local Palestinian leader doesn't suggest any course of action for Salma, but warns her not to accept compensation from the Israelis. Refusal to accept compensation probably makes sense as a political strategy. However, without compensation, what options are open to a widow whose sole livelihood is taken from her?

To me, the saddest part of the movie was the failure of Salma and the minister's wife Mira (Rona Lipaz-Michael) to ever meet face to face. On several occasions in the film they almost meet, but the meeting never actually takes place. Symbolically, that failure to communicate on a personal level represents the Israeli-Palestinian dilemma. They are figuratively and literally unable to speak to each other, and therefore they can never move beyond stereotypes and hostility.

We saw this film at the excellent Rochester Jewish Film Festival. However, it would work well on the small screen. It's an extraordinary film, and definitely worth seeking out.

Hiam Abbass (The Visitor) is outstanding as Salma, a Palestinian widow with a lemon grove that ekes out a meager living. Unfortunately, the Israeli Defence Minister moves in next door and wants the lemon grove gone for security reasons.

Just like governments everywhere, there is no concern for the effect of rulings on individuals. The Defence Minister (Doron Tavory) is too busy chasing skirts to care. His wife (Rona Lipaz-Michael) cares, but has to put up with his philandering and his dismissal of her concerns. But Salma won't give up without a fight.

She certainly gets no help from the local Palestinian politicians, who don't like rocking the boat.

She goes to a local court and is dismissed, so she decides to go to the Israeli Supreme Court. Mira (Lipaz-Michael) gets more involved as the case drags on. The relationship with her lawyer (Ali Suliman) also gets more involved.

The film shows the impossibility of Palestinian - Israeli relations ever getting better.

This is about the 45-year-old Palestinian widow. She supports herself by these lemon trees. Then, the Israeli minister of defense becomes her neighbor, including security problems. The greatest of these problems are the widow's trees.

But there's also a quite silent love story here, between the woman and her much younger Palestinian lawyer. It's not very physical, but the passion is evident in their eyes.

Movies like this makes more for your interest in this very tragic conflict, than any action performance. To be recommended, if you want to know more about people. And politics.